Helicobacter Pylori Induces GATA3-Dependent Chitinase 3 Like 1 (CHI3L1) Upregulation and Contributes to Vascular Endothelial Injuries

Uncovering novel mechanisms of chitinase-3-like protein 1 in driving inflammation-associated cancers

Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a secreted glycoprotein that is induced and regulated by multiple factors during inflammation in enteritis, pneumonia, asthma, arthritis, and other diseases. It is associated with the deterioration of the inflammatory environment in tissues with chronic inflammation caused by microbial infection or autoimmune diseases. The expression of CHI3L1 expression is upregulated in several malignant tumors, underscoring the crucial role of chronic inflammation in the initiation and progression of cancer. While the precise mechanism connecting inflammation and cancer is unclear, the involvement of CHI3L1 is involved in chronic inflammation, suggesting its role as a contributing factor to in the link between inflammation and cancer. CHI3L1 can aggravate DNA oxidative damage, induce the cancerous phenotype, promote the development of a tumor inflammatory environment and angiogenesis, inhibit immune cells, and promote cancer cell growth, invasion, and migration. Furthermore, it participates in the initiation of cancer progression and metastasis by binding with transmembrane receptors to mediate intracellular signal transduction. Based on the current research on CHI3L1, we explore introduce the receptors that interact with CHI3L1 along with the signaling pathways that may be triggered during chronic inflammation to enhance tumorigenesis and progression. In the last section of the article, we provide a brief overview of anti-inflammatory therapies that target CHI3L1.

Association of serum YKL-40 change with prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients complicated with diabetes mellitus

Objective: This study intended to explore the serum YKL-40 change and its prognostic implication in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: YKL-40 was detected from serum by ELISA in 121 AIS patients with DM at baseline, day (D)1, D3, D7 and D30 after disease onset. Results: YKL-40 increased from baseline to D3, then decreased until D30 (p < 0.001). Notably, 20.7% of patients had stroke recurrence, and 6.6% of patients died during follow-up. YKL-40 at D1 (p = 0.043), D7 (p = 0.007) and D30 (p = 0.001) predicted higher stroke recurrence risk; additionally, YKL-40 at D3 (p = 0.010), D7 (p = 0.007) and D30 (p = 0.002) estimated higher mortality risk. Conclusion: Serum YKL-40 has a prognostic effect on the management of AIS patients with DM.

GATA3 positively regulates PAR1 to facilitate in vitro disease progression and decrease cisplatin sensitivity in neuroblastoma via inhibiting the hippo pathway

GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) is reported to critically involved in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma (NB). This study investigated the specific role and mechanism of GATA3 in NB progression. JASPAR was utilized to predict GATA3's downstream targets, whose binding relation with GATA3 was inspected by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. NB cell lines underwent transfection of GATA3/protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) overexpression plasmids or shGATA3, followed by cisplatin treatment. NB cell sensitivity to cisplatin, viability, migration, invasion, cell cycle progression and apoptosis were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Expressions of GATA3, PAR1, epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related molecules (N-Cadherin and Vimentin), hippo pathway-related molecules (mammalian Ste20-like kinase (Mst)1, Mst2, Mps one binding (Mob) 1, phosphorylated (p)-Mob1, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and p-YAP) in NB tissues and cell lines were assessed by western blot or qRT-PCR. GATA3 expression was increased in NB tissues and cells. GATA3 overexpression increased NB cell viability, promoted migration, invasion, and cell cycle progression, increased the expressions of N-Cadherin, Vimentin and YAP, decreased the expressions of Mst1, Mst2, Mob1, p-Mob1, p-YAP and the ratio of p-YAP to YAP, and attenuated cisplatin-induce cell apoptosis, which GATA3 knockdown induced the opposite effect. GATA3 directly targeted PAR1, whose overexpression increased NB cell viability, inhibited the hippo pathway, and attenuated cisplatin-induce cell apoptosis, and reversed GATA3 knockdown-induced effect on these aspects. GATA3 positively regulates PAR1 to facilitate in-vitro disease progression and decrease cisplatin sensitivity in NB via inhibiting the hippo pathway.

Bacterial Infections and Atherosclerosis – A Mini Review

Atherosclerosis is the most challenging subsets of coronary artery disease in humans, in which risk factors emerge from childhood, and its prevalence increases with age. Experimental research demonstrates that infections due to bacteria stimulate atherogenic events. Atherosclerosis has complex pathophysiology that is linked with several bacterial infections by damaging the inner arterial wall and heart muscles directly and indirectly by provoking a systemic pro-inflammation and acute-phase protein. Repeated bacterial infections trigger an inflammatory cascade that triggers immunological responses that negatively impact cardiovascular biomarkers includes triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, C-reactive protein, heat shock proteins, cytokines, fibrinogen, and leukocyte count. Herein, we intended to share the role of bacterial infection in atherosclerosis and evaluate existing evidence of animal and human trials on the association between bacterial infections and atherosclerosis on update.